Hasso Plattner
Born 1944 · Age 81
German entrepreneur, co-founder of SAP SE, philanthropist and patron of art and education; founder of the Hasso Plattner Institute and the Hasso Plattner Foundation.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Berlin, Germany
Hasso Plattner was born to ophthalmologist Horst Plattner and his wife in Berlin shortly before the end of WWII.
Completed master's degree in communications engineering
Graduated from the University of Karlsruhe with a master's (diploma) in communications engineering.
Joined IBM in Mannheim
Began professional career at IBM (sales / technical role) where he worked with colleagues who later co-founded SAP.
Co-founded SAP (Systemanalyse Programmentwicklung)
Left IBM with four colleagues (Dietmar Hopp, Claus Wellenreuther, Klaus Tschira, Hans-Werner Hector) and founded SAP on April 1, 1972 to build real-time business software.
Launched RF financial accounting system (R/1 foundation)
SAP launched its first financial accounting system 'RF' (the R stands for 'real-time'), laying groundwork for later R/1 and R/3 suites.
Company renamed 'SAP'
Systemanalyse Programmentwicklung officially shortened/renamed to 'SAP' as the company formalized.
SAP converted to stock corporation and IPO
SAP GmbH converted to SAP AG and its shares listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (October 1988), providing capital for expansion.
SAP R/3 breakthrough
R/3 client-server software was presented at CeBIT after a late switch to Unix workstations; R/3 made SAP a global player.
Sapphire: pledged rapid delivery of R/3 in U.S.
At Sapphire conference in Orlando (Sept 1992) Plattner announced SAP would deliver R/3 within six weeks to customers ordering on-site, marking aggressive U.S. push.
First SAP R/3 U.S. customer (Convex)
Convex became the first U.S. customer for SAP R/3 (Oct 1992); Chevron followed soon after, accelerating U.S. adoption.
Strategic alliance with Microsoft
SAP announced an alliance with Microsoft to support Windows NT for SAP software, broadening platform support and market reach.
Celebrated SAP's 25th anniversary; appointed co-CEO
At SAP's 25th anniversary Plattner was appointed co-CEO (sources note he served as co-CEO around this period alongside founders/executives).
Founded Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI)
Established the non-profit Hasso Plattner Institute for Software Systems Engineering in Potsdam; would become sole-funded by his foundation.
Transitioned to co-CEO with Henning Kagermann
Organizational changes occurred with Dietmar Hopp and Klaus Tschira moving to the supervisory board; Plattner served as co-CEO alongside Henning Kagermann.
SAP listed on NYSE (New York debut)
SAP debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on August 3, 1998, expanding its capital market presence.
Announced mySAP.com strategy
Launched the mySAP.com internet strategy (May/Sept 1999 demos at Sapphire), aiming to move SAP into web-based applications; initial push required later rework.
Named most important/influential IT personality in Time Europe
Time Magazine Europe ranked Plattner first among technology personalities in 2001.
Donated €6 million to Isombululo HIV/AIDS program (South Africa)
Announced donation at the Presidents Cup that would support prevention and treatment efforts in South Africa; reported impact estimate ~360,000 people.
Donated €10 million to University of Mannheim library
Committed €10 million in 2003 for redevelopment of the University of Mannheim library.
Stepped down from SAP Executive Board; became Supervisory Board chairman
Left the Executive Board and was elected chairman of SAP's Supervisory Board, transitioning to an oversight and chief software advisor role.
Received honorary professorship and honorary doctorate (University of Potsdam)
University of Potsdam awarded Plattner an honorary doctorate (2002) and honorary professorship (2004); Chancellor Gerhard Schröder publicly lauded his achievements in 2004.
Launched Hasso Plattner Ventures (HPV) VC fund
Established Hasso Plattner Ventures with an initial fund of more than €25 million (Plattner is principal capital provider).
Funded Stanford d.school with US$35 million
Donated US$35 million (October 2005) to establish the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school).
Personal sponsorship of 46664 Nelson Mandela benefit concert
In spring 2005 Plattner personally covered costs of the 46664 concert held at Fancourt; proceeds supported the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
maxZ86 yacht sets Transpacific record
Plattner's maxi yacht set a monohull record at the Transpacific Yacht Race, winning the Barn Door trophy with elapsed time 6d16h4m11s.
Initiated in-memory database research that led to SAP HANA
Research at HPI and SAP around 2006 led to development of SAP HANA, a column-oriented in-memory DBMS that would become transformative for SAP.
Founded HPV Africa (Cape Town) with €29M
Launched Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa in 2008 with €29 million to invest in African tech startups; invested in five companies early on.
Plattner reduced SAP stake (multiple reductions noted)
Media reported Plattner cut his SAP stake in 2009 (part of several stake reductions over time).
HPV portfolio growth: €150M under management by Dec 2009
By December 2009 Hasso Plattner Ventures managed about €150 million across ~17 portfolio companies, including Dreamlines.
New SAP CEOs: Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe
SAP appointed Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe as co-CEOs on Feb 7, 2010 — a major leadership change at the company Plattner co-founded.
HPV invested $6M in Panaya
In September 2010 Hasso Plattner Ventures invested US$6 million in Israeli software company Panaya in exchange for equity/stake.
SAP HANA first customer implementations begin
Around 2011 the first customers began implementing SAP HANA (in-memory DB), marking start of commercial adoption.
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design / HPI d.school impact
By 2013 the d.school approach had spread; Plattner remained an active supporter of design thinking and education initiatives worldwide.
Bought out two partners in Sharks ownership group; NHL board representative
In 2013 Plattner bought out two partners in San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises and began serving as the Sharks' representative on the NHL's board of governors.
Signed the Giving Pledge
In February 2013 Hasso Plattner signed The Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of his wealth.
Received Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award (Thought Leadership)
Awarded Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award in Thought Leadership category (2014).
Founded the Hasso Plattner Foundation
Established the Hasso Plattner Foundation (2015) to formalize philanthropic activity in education, conservation and art; also signaled long-term giving commitment.
HP Foundation takes shape; global philanthropic expansion
Foundation expanded to cover education, conservation and art; the foundation later disbursed large sums (see later events).
Formed Wildenstein Plattner Institute
In 2016 Plattner and art dealer Guy Wildenstein established the Wildenstein Plattner Institute to advance art-historical scholarship and digitization.
Won German Dragon Championship (sailing)
Plattner won the German Dragon Championship as part of a three-man crew including Hamish Pepper (2013 win is cited; affiliate sources list 2013 — included here as notable sailing achievement).
HPI and University of Potsdam launch Digital Engineering Faculty
HPI and the University of Potsdam jointly established the privately funded Digital Engineering Faculty (2017) — a unique public-private academic collaboration.
Opened Museum Barberini in Potsdam
Museum Barberini opened in January 2017, built/rebuilt with Plattner's support to house his Impressionist and modern art collection.
HPI expands internationally; Mount Sinai partnership
HPI partnered with Mount Sinai (New York) to create a digital health research institute; HPI continued growth and international collaborations.
Sold about €100M in SAP shares (reported)
Media reported Plattner sold approximately €100 million of SAP stock in 2019, reducing his stake; afterward reported holdings were ~6.2%.
Orchestrated hiring of co-CEOs Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein
Plattner played an influential governance role in SAP and was reported to have orchestrated hiring decisions in 2019.
HPI celebrates 20th anniversary
Hasso Plattner Institute marked 20 years (1999–2019) with expanded programs, alumni growth and international outreach.
Purchased Monet 'Meules' at Sotheby's for $110.7M
In May 2019 Plattner (through his foundation/collection) purchased Claude Monet's 1890 'Meules' for $110.7 million — record Auction price for an Impressionist work.
Reported net worth US$17.9 billion (Forbes, Aug 2020)
Forbes reported Plattner's net worth at US$17.9 billion as of August 2020.
Plattner owned ~5.89% of SAP (largest individual shareholder)
As of 2020 Plattner's stake in SAP was reported at 5.89%, making him the largest individual shareholder.
Hasso Plattner Collection becomes permanent exhibition at Museum Barberini
In 2020 the Hasso Plattner Collection (Impressionism) became a permanent exhibition at the Museum Barberini.
Opened DAS MINSK Kunsthaus (private museum) in Potsdam
In September 2022 Plattner opened DAS MINSK, a private museum focused on East German (GDR) artists and post-reunification art.
HPI new initiatives: Digital Health & partnerships
HPI launched/expanded digital health cluster partnerships (e.g., Mount Sinai) and continued openHPI growth; Plattner gave his last lecture at HPI in spring 2023.
Hasso Plattner Foundation: disbursements and scale
By 2024 the Hasso Plattner Foundation had scaled major programs across education, conservation and art; foundation-level disbursements reported cumulatively (2016–Q1 2025) approx. €1 billion.
Reported net worth (various sources, 2024)
Public net worth estimates vary in 2024; some sources list circa US$14.2B while Forbes' most-cited figure is US$17.9B (Aug 2020).
Stepped down as chairman of SAP Supervisory Board
At the 2024 Annual General Meeting on May 15 Plattner stepped down from the SAP Supervisory Board after 21 years as chairman; last co-founder to leave an official role.
HPI campus expansion letter of intent (announced June 2025)
In June 2025 Hasso Plattner announced plans and signed a letter of intent for a major campus expansion at University of Potsdam (Brauhausberg site) to expand HPI and university offerings.
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